DHARMAPURI: Despite residents of Jyothihalli village near Marandahalli petitioning for a railway overbridge for the last five years, no action has been taken by the South Western Railway department. The demand dates back 68 years, to when the village was separated into two halves by the construction of the Salem-Hosur railway line. Last year, residents even boycotted the Lok Sabha elections over the issue.
Speaking to TNIE, P Raja Murugan from Jyothihalli said, "We have a total of 1,445 homes with a population of 6,850 people. Nearly seven decades ago, the SW Railway began construction of the Salem-Hosur railway line. Even during construction, our fathers and elders opposed it, as it left half the village isolated without an alternative road. The railway ignored us even then, and now half our villages have no access to ambulances."
K Selvaraj, another resident, said, "Right now, half the people in our village take a 10 km detour through private lands to access key roads. This road is also accessible to four-wheelers. The isolated portion of the village is also primarily agricultural land, and we have no way to transport our produce. Even if we hire workers, we lose the majority of our profits, leaving us with little to no income."
L Sivakumar from the village said, "Following the election, we were visited by railway engineers and DMK MP A Mani, who came to our village and promised us a railway bridge. The railway department staff have merely sent the DPR for the bridge, and it is still unclear if the department will accept the request. But the fact remains that over 2,500 people are stranded. We urge the administration to look into the issue and ensure an overbridge is built."
When TNIE reached out to officials in the SW Railway, they said, "The reports have been sent to the headquarters, and the matter is being considered. It is likely to take some time."